Loose-leaf binder.



W. H. AVERILL.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 15. 1915.

- 1,208,724. Patented Dec. 19,1916.

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WILLIAM H. AVERILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS;

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. in, rare.

Application filed December 15, 1915. Serial No. 66,920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. AVERILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to pro- 'vide a loose leaf binder, the jaws or leaf-confining members of which are adapted to be securely confined at various distances apart,

to confine a pile of leaves of any desired thickness, and to be quickly and conveniently separated and confined.

The invention. is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a partof this specification: Figure 1 represents a perspective view of aloose leaf binder embodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents a section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig.

3 represents a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the latch separated from the toothed bar; Fig. 4 represents a section on line 44= of Fig. 2; Figs. 5 and 6 represent fragmentary sectional views showing the inner and outer tubular post; Fig. 7 represents a side view and Fig. 8- a perspective view of the plunger; Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of the latch; Fig. 10 represents a side .view of the inner tubular post and the latch cover sections 14 flexibly connected with the jaws at 15. The lower jaw 13 is provided with a tubular outer post member 16, and the upper jaw 12 is provided with a smaller tubular inner post member 17 entering and movable in the member 16, the two members constituting a telescopic hollow post. In practice, two of said posts are provided, but as said posts and the hereinafter described devices cooperating therewith are alike in construction a description of one will suflice.

'Each jaw and its post member are rigidly connected and may be made of sheet or thin plate metal. The exposed surfaces of the jaws may be covered with a veneermg of leather or other suitable finishing material, not shown.

To the jaw 13 is rigidly attached a bar 19, one edge of which is toothed, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, said bar being contained in the outer post member 16, and arranged to enter the inner post member 17.

20 represents a latch which is oscillatively connected with the upper jaw 12, and is adapted to engage either of the teeth of the bar 19, as indicated by Fig. 2, and to be separated from said bar, as indicated by Fig. 3. The latch is preferably connected with the outer jaw by means of a hook 20 on one end of the latch, and a slot 21 in the inner post member 17, the hook loosely entering the slot so that a swinging movement of the latch is permitted.

I have provided latch-controlling means normally holding the latch in engagement with the bar and manually operable to separate the latch from the bar, said means being preferably organized as follows: 22 represents a plunger adapted to move in the inner post member 17, and provided at its outer end with a head or push button 23. The plunger is also provided with an outer cross-bar 24. and an inner cross-bar 25. A spring 26 located in an enlargement or spring chamber 27 at the outer end of the post member 17 normally holds the plunger in the raised position shown by Fig. 2. The latch is provided with an outer inclined face 28 andwith an inner inclined face 29. The relative arrangement of the said cross-bar and faces is such that when the plunger is raised by the spring the cross-bar 25 006perates with the face 29 in holding the latch in engagement with the bar 19, as shown by Fig. 2. .When the plunger is depressed the cross-bar 25L cooperates with the face 28 in holding the latch separated from the bar, as shown by Fig. 3.

A plurality of loose leaves 31 perforated to receive the outer post members 16 may be assembled on the lower jaw 13 and then confined by inserting the inner post members 17 in the outer post members and moving the upper jaw downwardly the required distance, the operator holding the plungers depressed by pressure of his thumbs thereon. When the outer jaw is located the release of the plungers causes the engagement of the latches with the toothed bars, so that the jaws are locked together. The upper jaw may be released by the depression of the plungers, and raised from the lower jaws while the plungers are held depressed.

The hook 20 is preferably slotted to form prongs 20 originally arranged as shown by Fig. 9. After the hook is inserted in the slot 21, the prongs 20 may be bent laterally, as shown by Figs. at and 10, to preventthe withdrawal of the hook from said slot.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A loose leaf binder comprising opposed jaws, each having a tubular post member, the two members constituting a telescopic hollow post, a toothed bar and a bar-engaging latch Within said post, the bar being rigidly connected with one jaw, and the latch pivotally connected with the post member of the other jaw, a manually movable plunger in the post, and a spring normally holding the plunger in a raised position, the said latch and plunger being provided with complemental latch-shifting means cooperating with said spring to normally hold the latch in engagement with the bar, and acting to separate the latch from the bar when the plunger is manually depressed.

2. A loose leaf binder comprising opposed jaws, each having a tubular post member, the two members constituting a telescopic hollow post, a toothed bar and a bar-engaging latch within said post, the bar being connected with one jaw, and the latch with the other jaw, and v a manually movable spring-raised plunger in the post, the latch being provided with outer and inner inclined faces, and the plunger with outer and inner cross-bars cooperating in normally holding the latch in engagement with the bar, and in separating the latch from the bar when the plunger is manually depressed.

3. A loose leaf binder comprising a jaw having an outertubular post member and a toothed bar within the same, another jaw having an inner tubular post member movablein said outer member, a latch oscillatively engaged with the inner post member 7 and adapted to engage the said bar, said latch being provided with outer and inner inclined faces, a plunger movable in the inner post member and provided with outer and inner cross-bars cooperating with said' inclined faces, and a spring normally raising said plunger and holding the latch in engagement with the bar. 7

l. A loose leaf binder comprising a jaw having an outer tubular post member and a toothed bar within the same, another jaw having an inner tubular post member movable in said outer member, a latch oscillatively engaged with the inner post member and adapted to engage the said bar, said latch being provided with outer and inner inclined faces, a plunger movable in the inner post member and provided with outer and inner cross-bars cooperating with said inclined faces, and a spring normally raising said plunger and holding the latch in engagement with the bar, the inner 'post member being provided with an enlargement forming a spring-receiving recess.

5. A loose leaf binder comprising a jaw having an outer tubular post member and a toothed bar within the same, another jaw having an inner tubular post member movable insaid outer member and'provided with a slot, a bar-engaging latch having a hook movable loosely in said slot, and a manually movable spring-pressed plunger in the post, said latch and plunger being provided with complemental latch-shifting means.

6. A loose leaf binder comprising a jaw having an outer tubular post member and a toothed bar withinthe same, another jaw having an inner tubular post member mov: able in said outer member and provided with a slot, a bar-engaging latch having a Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the (foinmi ssioner of Patents,

Washington, I) G.

WILLIAM. H. AvERiLL; j a 

